What should a foreigner do immediately after being accused of internet banking fraud in Turkey? Learn about IBAN fraud, account sharing, frozen bank accounts, digital evidence, MASAK scrutiny, prosecutor investigations and defense strategy in 2026.

A foreign national accused of internet banking fraud in Turkey should act carefully from the first moment because these investigations often move quickly from a single disputed bank transfer to examination of bank accounts, mobile banking access, phones, messages, cryptocurrency transactions and relationships with other suspects. The fact that money allegedly obtained from a fraud victim entered a bank account registered in the foreigner’s name can be important evidence, but it does not automatically prove that the account holder personally deceived the victim or knowingly participated in fraud. The investigation should determine who contacted the victim, who supplied the IBAN, who controlled the account, who ordered the transfer of the incoming funds and who ultimately received the financial benefit. In 2026, account-sharing cases have become even more important because Law No. 7589, published on 31 July 2026, introduced a specific rule concerning participation in fraud through providing another person with the information or means necessary to use bank, payment-service, brokerage or crypto-asset accounts. Where participation is limited to this conduct for the purpose of obtaining an unlawful benefit, the relevant sentence can be reduced by half. This does not make account sharing harmless; rather, it expressly recognizes it as conduct capable of constituting participation in fraud while differentiating that limited role from broader involvement in the scheme. (

Why Are Foreign Account Holders Frequently Identified First?

Many internet fraud investigations begin with the victim’s banking records. A person who believes they were deceived through an online marketplace, social-media account, investment platform, cryptocurrency scheme or fake commercial transaction provides the police or prosecutor with the IBAN to which money was sent. Investigators can then identify the registered holder of that bank account. The account holder may therefore become one of the first identifiable individuals in the investigation even when another person actually created the fraudulent advertisement, communicated with the victim or controlled the final destination of the money.

Do Not Assume Account Ownership Means Automatic Criminal Liability

Account ownership proves that the account belongs to you. It does not by itself establish everything else that the prosecution would need to prove concerning your knowledge, intent and individual participation. If another person obtained or used your banking details, if you were deceived into believing the transaction was legitimate or if you had no role in communicating with the victim, those circumstances can be highly relevant. At the same time, official judicial warnings in Turkey emphasize that allowing another person to use banking or digital accounts can lead to investigations, account restrictions and fraud or money-laundering allegations, particularly where the account holder receives a financial benefit. (DENİZLİ ADLİYESİ)

What Should You Do Immediately?

The most important first step is preserving evidence. Do not delete WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, SMS or email conversations connected with the person who asked to use your account or who instructed you to receive or transfer money. Do not reset your phone, delete mobile banking applications, throw away the SIM card or erase cryptocurrency applications simply because a criminal investigation has begun. Messages that seem embarrassing can sometimes be the strongest evidence showing what you were told, what you believed and who actually directed the transactions.

Download Complete Bank Statements

Do not preserve only the transfer identified by the police. Obtain a wider period covering transactions before and after the disputed payment. The history may show that the transfer was an isolated transaction rather than part of a recurring pattern, or it may help identify the real person who benefited from the funds.

Identify the Exact Disputed Transfer

Before giving a detailed explanation, determine the date, amount, sender, payment description and what happened to the money afterward. A vague statement such as “someone sent me money a few months ago” is not enough for a serious financial investigation.

Reconstruct the Complete Money Flow

A useful structure is Alleged Victim → Your Bank Account → Second Account → Cryptocurrency Platform / Cash Withdrawal / Another Bank → Final Known Beneficiary. The defense should establish your position in that chain rather than focusing only on the fact that the first transfer reached your IBAN.

Who Actually Communicated With the Alleged Victim?

This is often one of the strongest factual questions. If you never spoke to the victim, never operated the website or social-media account and never made the false representation that caused the payment, that information should be supported with the available evidence. It does not automatically end the case, because prosecutors may allege that the account holder knowingly assisted the fraud by providing banking infrastructure, but it helps define the person’s actual role.

Who Provided Your IBAN?

Investigators should determine how the alleged victim obtained the bank details. If another person gave your IBAN to the victim without your direct involvement, preserve the messages showing that person’s instructions.

Why Did You Allow Another Person to Use Your Bank Account?

Foreigners sometimes explain that a friend, employer, business partner or acquaintance told them that their own account was blocked or unavailable. The investigation will likely ask why that person needed your account and whether the explanation should have appeared suspicious at the time.

Typical Example

A person tells you that they need your Turkish bank account temporarily because they are waiting for their own banking problem to be resolved. TRY 400,000 arrives. You are instructed to transfer TRY 380,000 to another account and retain TRY 20,000. Several days later, the original sender reports an online investment fraud. The banking record now directly links your account with the victim’s payment, and your retention of TRY 20,000 may be viewed as evidence requiring explanation.

Commission Payments Create Particular Risk

The 2026 amendment is especially relevant in cases where a person provides banking or payment-account access for the purpose of obtaining an unlawful benefit. Where prosecutors argue that someone knowingly gave another person the information or means necessary to use a bank, payment-service, brokerage or crypto account in connection with fraud, the new rule may affect how participation and punishment are assessed. (Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Adalet Bakanlığı)

The 2026 Amendment Does Not Mean “IBAN Renting” Is Legal

The amendment does not legalize lending or renting an account for fraud. It creates a specific sentencing treatment where participation in fraud is limited to providing account-use information or means under the conditions stated in the law. Anyone facing such an allegation still requires an individualized defense based on actual knowledge and conduct.

What If You Did Not Receive Any Commission?

That fact can be important, but it is not automatically decisive. A person may allegedly assist another without receiving money. The complete evidence should be examined.

What If You Were Also Deceived?

This is increasingly relevant in fake employment and money-mule cases. A foreign national may be recruited through a job advertisement claiming that the role involves processing customer payments, cryptocurrency transactions or online purchases. The person may genuinely believe the activity is legitimate until police contact them.

Preserve the Fake Job Evidence

Keep the advertisement, recruitment messages, employment agreement, usernames, telephone numbers, email addresses and all instructions concerning incoming transfers. Official judicial warnings specifically identify supposed work-from-home opportunities, cryptocurrency offers, credit schemes and similar online approaches as methods used to obtain people’s bank and digital account information.

Never Share Mobile Banking Passwords or Verification Codes

Providing only an IBAN is different from giving someone complete control of mobile banking. Sharing passwords, SMS verification codes, banking cards or SIM access can make the factual situation significantly more difficult because the person can conduct transactions in your name.

What If Someone Else Actually Controlled Mobile Banking?

If this is true, the defense should seek objective evidence. Banking records may show devices, authentication methods or other technical information connected with account access. Messages may also show that another person was instructing or performing the transfers.

Do Not Invent an Unauthorized-Access Story

If you voluntarily allowed another person to use the account, claiming that the account was hacked can cause serious credibility problems if banking or digital evidence contradicts the explanation.

If Your Account Was Genuinely Compromised

Preserve security alerts, password-change notices, suspicious login notifications, complaints submitted to the bank and any contemporaneous report of unauthorized transactions.

Internet Marketplace Fraud

A common allegation involves products advertised on an online marketplace that are never delivered after the victim pays. The investigation should identify who created the advertisement, who communicated with the victim and who controlled the account receiving the payment.

Social Media Fraud

Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram and similar platforms can form part of the evidence. If another person controlled the profile used for the alleged fraud, that evidence should be distinguished from ownership of the receiving bank account.

Fake Investment Platforms

Victims may be instructed to send money to personal bank accounts supposedly belonging to an investment company’s “finance department.” Account holders receiving these funds can subsequently become suspects.

Cryptocurrency Fraud

Funds may be transferred from a victim to a bank account and then immediately converted into cryptocurrency. Cryptocurrency does not automatically prove fraud or money laundering, but the transaction chain becomes important.

Preserve Crypto Records Immediately

Download exchange histories, wallet addresses and transaction identifiers. If you were instructed to purchase USDT, Bitcoin or another asset and send it to a particular wallet, preserve the messages containing that wallet address.

Connect Bank Records With Blockchain Records

The defense should show Bank Deposit → Exchange Deposit → Cryptocurrency Purchase → Wallet Transfer → Final Known Wallet rather than presenting unrelated screenshots.

MASAK Scrutiny Can Accompany Fraud Investigations

Banks and other obliged institutions must report suspicious transactions under Turkey’s anti-money-laundering framework. MASAK updated its suspicious transaction reporting guidance in September 2025 based on sector-specific risks and the updated 2025 National Risk Assessment, and those standards remain relevant in 2026. (Masak)

A MASAK Report Does Not Prove Fraud

Suspicious transaction reporting is based on suspicion and risk indicators. It is not equivalent to an indictment or conviction.

Why Can the Bank Account Be Frozen?

The expression “account freeze” can refer to different mechanisms. The bank may be conducting its own compliance review, a transaction may be affected by an AML-related restriction or a prosecutor or court may have imposed a judicial measure during the criminal investigation. The correct legal remedy depends on which situation actually exists.

Do Not Assume the Bank Employee’s Explanation Is the Legal Decision

A statement such as “MASAK blocked the account” is not enough to determine the legal procedure. Identify whether a prosecutor investigation number or formal judicial decision exists.

What If the Disputed Money Is Still in the Account?

Do not transfer it simply because you are frightened. Moving allegedly fraudulent funds after learning of the investigation can create additional questions.

Do Not Send the Money Abroad

An international transfer can complicate asset tracing.

Do Not Convert It Into Cryptocurrency

Converting disputed money after learning of a complaint can be interpreted negatively depending on the circumstances.

Do Not Withdraw Everything in Cash

Cash transactions make the ultimate destination more difficult to document.

What If You Already Returned the Money?

Preserve the transfer record and identify exactly who received the repayment. Returning funds may be relevant, but it does not automatically terminate a criminal investigation.

Repeated Payments From Different Victims

Where dozens of unrelated people transferred money to the same account, each transaction should be analyzed separately. A generic explanation usually does not adequately address a multi-victim banking file.

Create a Transaction Table

For each transfer record Date → Sender → Amount → What You Were Told → Who Provided the Instructions → Where the Money Went → Amount Retained → Supporting Evidence.

Do Not Delete Unfavorable Transactions

Complete banking evidence is generally more credible than selectively disclosed statements.

What If the Account Belongs to a Company?

A foreign company director or shareholder may become involved if fraud-linked funds passed through the corporate account. Corporate status alone does not determine personal criminal responsibility. Investigators should examine who controlled online banking, who authorized payments and who received the benefit.

Foreign Director Versus Local Manager

A foreign director may have delegated daily financial operations to a Turkish manager or business partner. Banking authorization records, company resolutions and communications can help establish the true division of responsibility.

Police Summons

If the police summon a foreigner concerning internet banking fraud, the person should identify whether they are being questioned as a suspect, witness or complainant and determine the relevant transactions before giving a detailed statement.

Do Not Ignore the Summons

Failure to respond appropriately to criminal proceedings can create additional procedural problems.

Do Not Give Speculative Answers

If you cannot remember why a payment occurred, say that you need to examine the relevant records rather than guessing.

Prosecutor Statement

A document-supported chronology can be much more persuasive than a general statement such as “I am innocent.”

Interpretation for Foreigners

Foreign suspects who cannot adequately understand Turkish should ensure that they understand the allegation and statement procedure. Criminal proceedings provide interpretation mechanisms for persons who cannot communicate sufficiently in Turkish.

Never Sign a Statement You Cannot Understand

A statement concerning who controlled your account, whether you received a commission or why the money was forwarded can materially affect the investigation.

Phone and Digital Evidence

A telephone can contain messages, banking applications, authentication history, photographs, screenshots and cryptocurrency records. The relevance of each category should be assessed carefully.

Do Not Reset the Phone

Factory-resetting a device after learning of an investigation can destroy evidence that might otherwise support the defense.

Preserve the SIM Card

It may be relevant to authentication and communications.

Do Not Ask Another Suspect to Delete Messages

This can create additional evidentiary problems.

Do Not Coordinate False Stories

Each person’s statement should accurately reflect their own knowledge and conduct.

Can a Foreigner Be Detained?

Potentially, depending on the allegations, evidence and procedural circumstances. The existence of an internet banking fraud investigation does not automatically mean detention will occur, but serious multi-victim or organized allegations can increase procedural risk.

Can a Travel Ban Be Imposed?

A criminal investigation alone does not automatically prevent a foreigner from leaving Turkey. However, a court can impose a prohibition on leaving the country as a judicial-control measure where the applicable requirements are satisfied.

Residence Permit Risk

Being accused of banking fraud does not automatically cancel a residence permit. Criminal proceedings and immigration measures are legally separate, although serious criminal proceedings can potentially create immigration consequences.

Deportation Is Not Automatic

An accusation involving a bank account should not be equated with an automatic deportation decision. Any immigration measure requires separate analysis.

First 24 Hours

Preserve bank statements, phone data, messages and cryptocurrency records. Identify the disputed transfer and determine whether the account has been restricted.

First 48 Hours

Reconstruct the complete money trail and determine who provided the IBAN, who controlled mobile banking and who ultimately received the money.

First 72 Hours

Collect fake-employment evidence, contracts, invoices, account-access records, cryptocurrency transactions and communications with every person involved.

What Should You Never Do?

Do not delete messages, destroy devices, invent a hacking claim, backdate contracts, fabricate invoices, move disputed money to relatives, convert the money into cryptocurrency to conceal it or coordinate false explanations with other suspects.

The Most Important Defense Question

The central issue is usually not simply “Did fraud money enter your account?” Bank records may already answer that question. The more important questions are why the money entered your account, what you knew, who controlled the account, what you did with the funds and who ultimately benefited.

2026 Defense Strategy for Foreigners Accused of Internet Banking Fraud in Turkey

A strong defense should separate the foreign account holder’s actual conduct from the actions of the person or group that carried out the alleged fraud. The investigation should establish who communicated with the victim, who supplied the IBAN, who controlled mobile banking, who instructed the onward transfer and who received the economic benefit. The July 2026 amendment concerning account-use information in fraud cases makes this distinction especially important because Turkish law now expressly addresses situations where participation is limited to providing another person with the information or means needed to use bank, payment-service, brokerage or crypto accounts for the purpose of unlawful benefit. (Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Adalet Bakanlığı) Where the foreign national was deceived through fake employment or another scheme, recruitment messages should be preserved. Where another person controlled the banking application, objective account-access and communication evidence should be examined. Where cryptocurrency was used, the entire fiat-to-crypto chain should be reconstructed. Where the account is frozen, the legal source of the restriction should be identified before an objection is prepared. The practical roadmap is therefore: identify the disputed transactions → preserve the phone and SIM → preserve all messages → obtain complete bank statements → identify who supplied the IBAN → determine who controlled mobile banking → trace onward transfers → identify the ultimate beneficiary → document any commission → preserve cryptocurrency records → determine whether you were deceived or recruited → identify the exact criminal allegation → prepare the police or prosecutor statement from objective records → examine any bank-account restriction separately → protect rights concerning any judicial travel restriction → assess immigration consequences only through a separate immigration analysis.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can a foreigner be convicted simply because fraud money entered their Turkish bank account?

No. The incoming transfer is important evidence, but criminal liability requires an individualized assessment of the account holder’s knowledge, intent and conduct.

2. Is giving another person my IBAN a crime in Turkey?

The legal consequences depend on the circumstances. As of 2026, Turkish criminal law specifically addresses participation in fraud where a person provides another with the information or means required to use certain financial or crypto accounts for unlawful benefit. The account holder’s knowledge and purpose are therefore particularly important.

3. What changed in 2026 concerning account-sharing fraud cases?

Law No. 7589, published on 31 July 2026, introduced a rule under TCK Article 158 concerning situations where participation in fraud is limited to providing account-use information or means for bank, payment-service, brokerage or crypto accounts. In the circumstances described by the provision, the sentence is reduced by half. (Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Adalet Bakanlığı)

4. What if I did not know the other person was committing fraud?

That can be central to the defense. Preserve all communications showing what you were told and why you believed the use of your account was legitimate.

5. What if another person controlled my mobile banking?

Banking-access records, device information, authentication history and communications may help establish actual control. Do not fabricate an unauthorized-access claim if the account was voluntarily shared.

6. Can my bank account be frozen during the investigation?

Potentially. The restriction may arise from bank compliance procedures or from a judicial measure. The legal basis should be identified before deciding how to challenge it.

7. Should I delete WhatsApp or Telegram messages?

No. Those messages may be essential evidence showing who directed the transactions and what you knew at the time.

8. Can cryptocurrency transactions be investigated?

Yes. Exchange histories, wallet addresses and transaction identifiers may be used to reconstruct the destination of disputed funds.

9. Can an internet banking fraud investigation lead to deportation?

Not automatically. Criminal proceedings and immigration measures require separate legal assessments, although serious criminal allegations can potentially create immigration consequences.

10. What should I do immediately after police contact me?

Preserve all financial and digital evidence, identify the exact disputed transactions, determine who controlled the account, trace where the money went and obtain legal advice before giving an unsupported or speculative explanation.

Legal Support for Foreigners Accused of Internet Banking Fraud in Turkey

Foreign nationals facing internet banking fraud allegations in Turkey may simultaneously encounter IBAN fraud accusations, account-sharing allegations, police and prosecutor investigations, frozen bank accounts, MASAK scrutiny, cryptocurrency tracing, judicial asset restrictions and possible immigration concerns.

Fırat Fesih Kaya Law Office provides legal assistance to foreign nationals, investors, company directors and international clients facing internet banking and financial-crime investigations in Turkey.

Fırat Fesih Kaya can assist with internet banking fraud investigations, 2026 account-sharing allegations, IBAN and money-mule cases, police and prosecutor statements, frozen bank accounts, digital evidence, cryptocurrency transactions, judicial seizure objections and related immigration proceedings.

Phone: +90 312 434 22 22
Mobile Phone: +90 532 769 22 22
Email: info@firatfesihkaya.av.tr
Address: Mevlana Boulevard No: 221, Yildirim Tower, Balgat, Cankaya / Ankara, Turkey